Business finance figures for Northern Ireland, from the British Business Bank.
52% of smaller businesses in Northern Ireland were using external finance in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Smaller businesses (0-249 employees). UK Finance/BVA BDRC SME Finance Monitor, unweighted n=17,011 for 2024. Annual share of businesses using external finance.
The share of smaller businesses using external finance in Northern Ireland rose by 1 percentage point between 2023 and 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Change on 2023 in percentage points as printed in the source table. The source table shows '-' for London, which is not recorded.
53% of smaller businesses in Northern Ireland were willing to use external finance to grow in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025: Devolved Nations Briefing Notes, British Business Bank, 2024
Factsheet table, period printed as '2024'.
Major banks approved or increased an average of 378 loan and overdraft facilities per 10,000 smaller businesses in Northern Ireland between 2022 and 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025: Devolved Nations Briefing Notes, British Business Bank, 2024
Three-year average from the Devolved Nations briefing note.
132,930 smaller businesses with 0 to 249 employees were counted in Northern Ireland at the start of 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025: Devolved Nations Briefing Notes, British Business Bank, 2024
Factsheet table, period printed as 'Start 2024'.
24 announced equity deals were recorded for smaller businesses based in Northern Ireland in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Beauhurst data, based on the head office of the recipient business.
Announced equity deals for smaller businesses based in Northern Ireland were worth £78m in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Beauhurst data.
Major banks approved or increased 4,943 loans and overdrafts for smaller businesses in Northern Ireland in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025: Devolved Nations Briefing Notes, British Business Bank, 2024
Factsheet table, period printed as '2024'. UK Finance data on the largest SME lenders; the 2023 annex marks figures as Great Britain only for the share column.
Major banks approved or increased 5,099 loans and overdrafts for smaller businesses in Northern Ireland in the 2021/22 financial year.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2022, British Business Bank, 2021/22
Annex table, period printed as '2021-22 FY'. UK Finance data on the largest SME lenders.
Major banks approved or increased loans and overdrafts worth £1,137m for smaller businesses in Northern Ireland in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025: Devolved Nations Briefing Notes, British Business Bank, 2024
Factsheet table, period printed as '2024'. UK Finance data on the largest SME lenders; the 2023 annex marks figures as Great Britain only for the share column.
Major banks approved or increased loans and overdrafts worth £1,346m for smaller businesses in Northern Ireland in the 2021/22 financial year.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2022, British Business Bank, 2021/22
Annex table, period printed as '2021-22 FY'. UK Finance data on the largest SME lenders.
The national development bank newly supported an estimated 600 businesses in Northern Ireland in 2025/26.
Source: Impact Report 2026, British Business Bank, 2025/26
British Business Bank estimates, apportioned from UK-wide estimates using programme data on business location; rounded to the nearest hundred. Includes debt, guarantee and equity programmes.
318 Start Up Loans were drawn by businesses in Northern Ireland in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025: Devolved Nations Briefing Notes, British Business Bank, 2024
Factsheet table, period printed as '2024'.
Start Up Loans drawn by businesses in Northern Ireland were worth £3m in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025: Devolved Nations Briefing Notes, British Business Bank, 2024
Factsheet table, period printed as '2024'.
52% of smaller businesses in Northern Ireland were using external finance in 2024. The share of smaller businesses using external finance in Northern Ireland rose by 1 percentage point between 2023 and 2024. 53% of smaller businesses in Northern Ireland were willing to use external finance to grow in 2024.
52% of smaller businesses in Northern Ireland were using external finance in 2024.
The share of smaller businesses using external finance in Northern Ireland rose by 1 percentage point between 2023 and 2024.
53% of smaller businesses in Northern Ireland were willing to use external finance to grow in 2024.